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Extension Entomology

Category: Lawn and Garden

K-State entomologist shares tips for keeping winter pests out of homes, yards

Posted on by Department of Entomology
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles inside of a home near a door.

By Madeline Drake, K-State Extension news service. 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With cooler temperatures pushing fall pests toward homes, K-State horticultural entomologist Raymond Cloyd says a few simple sanitation steps can stop nuisance insects before they settle in.

“As the temperature gets cooler, we have a series of insects and mite pests that are going to decide to come into the house and overwinter,” Cloyd said, adding, however, that they are more of a nuisance than they are a danger.”

Insects such as the Asian lady beetle, squash bug, box elder bug or elm leaf beetle often make their way indoors or into yards to overwinter.

“The first thing you should do is caulk any cracks and crevices on the south side of the foundation,” Cloyd said. “You can spray a pyrethroid insecticide on the foundation to repel them, or once they’re in you can vacuum them up and put them back outside. I wouldn’t recommend using insecticides inside your home.”

Cloyd also recommends cleaning the home yard, which not only protects the home now, but also the yard in the spring.

“Sanitation is always the first line of defense in terms of plant protection,” Cloyd said. “Remove plant debris, large leaves and mulch to prevent these insects from staying there over the winter.”

Mowing or shredding the large leaves and using them in compost will prevent insects from being able to use them as shelter.

Cloyd said many insects that make their way inside will likely die off as the indoor heater dries them out. He said it’s important to vacuum the dead insects.

“Really make sure to vacuum up dead bugs as they can stimulate asthma if left in the home,” Cloyd said.

This time of year, it is also a good idea to plan a pest management strategy for next year, according to Cloyd.

“This is always a time of year to ask, ‘why did I have a pest, and what can I do next year to prevent it?’” he said. “You can’t get rid of them completely, but by sanitizing you can lessen the nuisance.”

More information on home and yard management is available at local extension offices in Kansas.

More information: Raymond Cloyd, 785-532-4750, rcloyd@ksu.edu

Turfgrass insect showing up in large numbers

Posted on by Department of Entomology

By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — An insect that is showing up in large numbers on sidewalks, under trees and around grassy areas in Kansas is not a major threat to turfgrass—but they are a nuisance, said Kansas State University entomologist Raymond Cloyd.

K-State entomologist Raymond Cloyd said the larvae of the green June beetle has been showing up in large numbers in Kansas this fall.

Green June beetle larvae (grubs) are approximately two inches in length. The larvae are prevalent in large numbers near managed and unmanaged grassy areas. High temperatures and abundant moisture, such as what many parts of Kansas have experienced recently, enhance their presence.

“The larvae are not going to cause substantial damage to your turfgrass,” Cloyd said, “but the larvae are a nuisance.”

At one location near K-State’s Manhattan campus, Cloyd said he collected about 20 larvae from the sidewalk and on the soil in less than three minutes. At the same location, a worker had a bucket containing more than 50 larvae.

Cloyd said green June beetle larvae are common this time of year, but he admits that he has received more email inquiries from Kansas residents about the larvae this year.

Green June beetle adult on green leaf
Green June beetle adult

Green June beetle adults are present during the summer months and fly erratically, occasionally bumping into people and objects. When flying, adults produce a sound like bumble bees.

The larvae are present from late summer to early fall, and feed near the soil surface in thatch or on grass clippings. They sometimes can be found in pools, basements and garages. Larvae can be distinguished from other turfgrass insect pests by their tendency to crawl on their backs when moving around.

Green June beetle larvae cause less damage to turfgrass than other insect pests, but they can cause some damage by creating soil mounds. Birds, moles and skunks damage turfgrass when foraging for green June beetle larvae.

Cloyd said it is too late to apply insecticides to manage or kill the larvae, which will eventually move deeper into soil and overwinter as mature larvae.

“The Scoliid wasp, Scolia dubia, is a naturally occurring parasitoid of the green June beetle larvae located in the soil,” Cloyd said. “Females fly just above turfgrass infested with green June beetle larvae. A female locates a green June beetle larva in the soil and uses her ovipositor (egg laying) device to paralyze the larva.”

“If you have large numbers of larvae on your sidewalks or other areas of the yard, you can collect them and place into a container of soapy water to kill them.”

Cloyd has authored a publication titled, Green June Beetle: Insect Pest of Turfgrass, which is available online from the K-State Extension bookstore.

More information also may be available at local extension offices in Kansas.

They may be spooky, but spiders are beneficial to the garden

Posted on by Department of Entomology

By K-State Extension news service.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many people view spiders as pests, and the fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias among Americans. However, spiders are predators that feed on insect pests in gardens and landscapes.

Kansas State University entomology expert Raymond Cloyd says that spiders feed on insects that may damage ornamental and vegetable crops. Consequently, they should be left alone and encouraged to take up residence in gardens and landscapes.

“There are two common species of garden spiders in Kansas that are active during the day,” Cloyd said. “They are the yellow garden spider and banded garden spider.”

The yellow garden spider has a black abdomen with yellow markings and black legs with a yellow or red band, Cloyd said. The banded garden spider has continuous bands across the abdomen and legs, alternating white and dark with orange and black bands on the legs. Both spiders create large webs in gardens and landscapes.

Garden spiders rely on vibrations that move through the web to indicate that prey have been captured.

Cloyd recommends leaving garden spiders alone because they are beneficial and are not harmful to humans.

Cloyd and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Entomology produce a weekly Extension Entomology Newsletter with information on managing insect and mite pests of landscapes and gardens.

Interested persons can subscribe to the free newsletter, as well as send their insect-related questions to Cloyd at rcloyd@ksu.edu, or contact your local K-State Research and Extension office.

More information: Raymond Cloyd, rcloyd@ksu.edu

Related: K-State Horticulture Newsletter | Kansas Garden Guide | Horticulture Resource Center

Agriculture Today: Lawn and Garden Pests

Posted on by Department of Entomology

Listen to Episode 2015 of Agriculture Today where horticultural entomologist, Raymond Cloyd discusses fall armyworms, mimosa webworms, cicada killers and grubs.

Agriculture Today is a daily program hosted by K‑State Research and Extension and distributed to radio stations throughout the state and region. K-State agricultural specialists and other experts examine agricultural issues facing Kansas and the nation.

Related:

Catalpa Caterpillar/Catalpa Sphinx

Posted on by Department of Entomology

By Raymond Cloyd, K-State extension horticultural and plant protection entomologist.

The catalpa caterpillar or catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, is an insect pest native to the eastern USA that only feeds on catalpa trees, including Catalpa bignonioides and C. speciosa. This article describes the biology, damage, and management of the catalpa caterpillar.

Figure 1. Catalpa sphinx adult (Ken Childs).

Biology

Adults are brown (Figure 1) and have a 2.5 to 3.7 inch (6.3 to 9.3 centimeter) wingspan. Adults are present from spring through fall. After mating, females lay clusters of up to 1,000 eggs on the underside of leaves. Young catalpa caterpillars that emerge (eclose) from eggs are white with black spots on the body (Figure 2). Older caterpillars are approximately 3.0 inches (7.6 centimeters) long, with a black head and black stripe that extends the length of the back (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Young catalpa caterpillars (Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren).
Figure 3. Older catalpa caterpillars.

There are also yellow stripes, with black vertical bands, that extend along both sides of the body (Figure 4). Some caterpillars will have a row of black spots along the back but will not have a black stripe. There are five instars (stages between each molt). Caterpillars are present from spring to late fall. Caterpillars eventually move to the base of a catalpa tree and enter the soil to pupate. They overwinter as pupae in the soil at a depth of 2 to 3 inches (5.0 to 7.6 centimeters). There may be up to three generations per year in Kansas.

Figure 4. Older catalpa caterpillar (Raymond Cloyd).

Catalpa trees contain iridoid glycosides, which are compounds that serve as antifeedants for generalist insect species or attractants for specialist insect species. The presence of iridoid glycosides, also called catalposides, may be why the catalpa caterpillar only feeds on catalpa trees. The iridoid glycosides, which are stored in the hemolymph, are sequestered by catalpa caterpillars, resulting in their being unpalatable to predators.

Damage

Young caterpillars feed initially in groups and then disperse among a tree. Caterpillars remove leaf tissue, except for the main veins. Extensive populations of older caterpillars can completely defoliate a catalpa tree (Figures 5 and 6).

Figure 5. Catalpa tree feb upon by catalpa caterpillars (Raymond Cloyd).
Figure 6. Catalpa tree fed upon by catalpa caterpilars (Raymond Cloyd).

Management

  1. Remove leaves with eggs and caterpillars from trees and place them into a bucket with soapy water.
  2. Ensure that catalpa trees are properly watered and fertilized so they can withstand feeding by catalpa caterpillars and produce new leaves later in the growing season.
  3. Apply a contact or stomach poison insecticide when young caterpillars are present in the spring.
  4. Replace young catalpa trees that are completely defoliated with a different type of tree.

Caterpillars are susceptible to attack by a parasitoid, Cotesia congregata. A catalpa caterpillar that has been attacked by the parasitoid will be covered with white cocoons (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Catalpa caterpillar with white cocoons on the body (Bill Duncan)